Cope close-up mechanism



Jan. 31, 1961 B. c. FERRIS ETAL 2,969,567

COPE CLOSE-UP MECHANISM Filed April 7, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet .2

INVENTORY BURTON C. FA'RR/S A ri-oa/v-rs Unie COPE CLOSE-UP lVmCHANISMFiled Apr. 7, 1958, Ser. No. 726,664

8 Claims. (Cl. 22- 31) This invention relates generally to transfermechanism and refers more particularly to mechanism for transferring acope flask section to a drag flask section and positioning it on thelatter.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide transfer mechanismwhich is of a relatively simple construction yet highly eflicient inoperation.

The invention has for another of its objects to provide mechanism fortransferring a cope flask section to a drag [flask section supported ona moving conveyor and placing it in assembled relation upon the dragflask section during movement of the conveyor.

The invention has for still another object to provide transfer mechanismwith a cutter adapted to form a pouring cup in the molded sand of thecope flask, the operation of the cutter being controlled by the movementof the transfer mechanism.

The invention has for a further object to provide transfer mechanism fordepositing the cope on a moving drag having means engageable with thedrag for moving the mechanism with the drag while the cope is beingdeposited thereon.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as thedescription proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of theinvention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of mechanism embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the mechanism, looking in the directionof the arrow 2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

r Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the air cylinders for operating themechanism.

Fig. 7 is a wiring diagram.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 10 designates the framestructure for supporting the transfer mechanism. The frame structureincludes a pair of horizontal, laterally spaced tracks 12 and 14 whichare I-shaped in cross-section. A bridge 16 is supported for movementfrom side to side along the length of the .tracks, and has wheels 18 and19 at opposite sides rolling on the top flanges of the tracks. As seenparticularly in Fig. l, the track12 has a V-shaped runner 20 along thetop surface. The wheels 19 have a peripheral groove engaging the runnerto guide the bridge. The bridge is in the form of an open frame havinglongitudinal members 22 connected adjacent their ends by the parallelmembers 24 and 26 which serve as tracks for the rack 28 and extend atright angles to the tracks 12 and 14. Brackets 30 are carried by members22 of the bridge connected to rods 32 which are carried by pistons 34the flange.

Patented Jan. 31, 1961 reciprocable in air cylinders 36 mounted ontracks 12 and 14 respectively.

The rack 28 has wheels 38 and 40 at opposite sides rolling on the trackmembers 24 and 26 of the bridge. Track 24 has a V-shaped runner 42 onits top surface, and the wheels 38 have peripheral grooves engaging therunner to guide the rack. The rack is in the form of an open framehaving longitudinal members 44 connected at their ends by the transversemembers 46. The bridge has a pair of brackets 48 at the rear pivoted torods 50 which are carried by pistons 52 reciprocable in air cylinders 54respectively mounted on the frame members 44 of the rack by brackets 56with the cylinder axes extending in the direction of movement of therack.

The open frame construction of the rack 28 provides a rectangularopening 58, and angle guides 60 are secured to the frame members 44 and46 of the rack within the opening at the corners thereof and extendvertically above the rack and downwardly below the bridge. Rollerbearings 62 are carried by the guides 60 to provide a relativelyfrictionless vertical movement of the lift 64 carried by the rack.

The lift 64 comprises a rectangular frame 66 and angle members 68extending vertically upwardly from the frame thereof and engaging theroller bearings 62. The lift 64 is suspended from the rack by a rotaryair hoist or motor 70 which is pivoted at the upper end by a pin 72 to abracket 73 carried by frame 74 at the upper ends of the angle guides 60.A cable 75 depends from the hoist having a hook 76 at the lower endengaged in an opening in bracket 77 carried by the cross frame members78 of the lift. The cross frame members are secured to the border frame66 of the lift. The rotary air hoist is manually controlled by anoperator to raise and lower the cable 75 and correspondingly move thelift relative to the rack.

A pair of opposed clamps 82 are keyed to horizontal shafts 84respectively rotatably supported on brackets 85 at the opposite sides ofthe lift. The clamps pivot about their midpoints on the shafts invertical planes. The lower ends of the clamps have inwardly directedlugs 86 forming shoulders 88 for engaging under the top flange 90 of acope flask 92 at the opposite sides there- 'of. The clamps are rotatedabout their pivots by air A second pair of opposed clamps 102respectively spaced from the first pair are keyed to the shafts 84 andswing as a unit therewith. The lower end of each clamp 102 is likewiseformed with an inwardly directed lug forming a shoulder engageable underthe cope flange 90 in the inner position of the lower end of theassociated clamp 82 and adapted to clear the flange 90 in the outerposition of the lower end of the associated clamp 82. The air cylinders94 are actuated simultaneously so that the clamps on one side of thelift move in unison with those on the other side. The clamps 102 areexactly like clamps 82 except that the upward extension above the pivotshaft 84 is omitted.

The transfer mechanism is adapted to transfer cope flask sections 92from a roll-off rack 101 formed by rollers 103 and stop 104 to a dragflask section 106 supported on a moving conveyor 108. The roll-off rack101 is associated with a molding machine (not shown) for molding andpacking the sand 110 in the cope. The cope with the molded and packedsand is then transferred a suitable source of pressure.

from themolding machine to the roll-elf rack 101 where it remains to bepicked up by the transfer mechanism. The transfer mechanism then picksup the cope from the :rolkoifirack and transfers it'to and depositsit-on .a drag 106 likewise containing molded-and packed sand to closeupthe moldflask sections. The conveyor is disposed beneath the bridge andmoves in a direction parallel to .the tracks 12 and 14 supporting thebridge, and a plurality of :drags .106 are supported in spaced relationon the conveyor.

Briefly, the rack28is movable from a rearward limitingpositionovertheroll-oif rack, as shown in Fig. l, to a forward limiting positionover the conveyor 108. The limits of forwardand rearward movement of therack are determined :by the stroke of the pistons in the rack cylinders54. in the rearward limiting position of the rack, the lift 64 islowered to engage a cope on the roll-off rack. The cope is then raisedby the lift and the rack moves to its forward limiting positionwhereupon the lift is again lowered to, support the cope in the dottedline position of Fig. 21in which it is slightly above the top surface ofdrags moved along in succession by the conveyor. The conveyor moves inthe direction of the 'arrow in Fig. 2.

The lift frame 66 has a pair of fingers 115 secured thereto anddepending from the front and rear edges adjacent one side thereof, and asecond pair of fingers 115 secured to the frame and depending from thefront and rear edges thereof adjacent the other side of the lift. Thesefingers straddle opposite sides of the cope held by the lift and arelaterally spaced a distance slightly greater than the width of a drag sothat a drag moved along by the conveyor will pass freely between thefingers 115 in the lower or dottedline position of the lift shown inFig. 2. The lower ends of the fingers are flared to enable the fingersto pass freely over the cope at the roll-off rack during downwardmovement of the lift. The lift also has a pair of laterally spacedfingers 117 secured to and depending from the frame 66 on a sideconnecting the front and rear, likewise flared at the bottom for thesame purpose. These fingers, when the lift is in the :dotted lineposition of Fig. 2 over the conveyor, provide abutments engageable by adrag on the conveyor for moving the lift, rack and bridge as a unit withthe drag while the cope is being placed thereon.

The lift is provided with means for forming a pouring cup in the moldedsand of the cope. The cutter is gen- "orally cone shaped and indicatedat 120. The cutter is secured to a vertical shaft 122 which is rotatedby an air motor 124 secured to a vertically movable plate 126 by yoke127. The plate 126 is raised and lowered by the piston 128 ('Fig. 4) ofa vertically disposed air cylinder 130, being connected to the piston bya rod 132. The cylinder is secured to bracket 77 of the lift, and theplate 126 is guided for vertical movement by a rod 134 secured at itsends to the bracket 77. The central vertical section of the rod isslidably received in a hole in plate 126 which is on the opposite sideof the yoke 127 from the connection with rod 132.

Fig. 6 illustrates the air system for operating the bridge, rack, clampsand pouring cup cutter. Air under pressure is supplied to the system bya pipe 140frorn Lines 142 and 144 lead from pipe 140 to the rod ends ofthe bridge cylinders 36 through a valve 146 controlled by solenoid 148.Valve 146 is spring loaded to a position normally venting line 144 toexhaust 150 and plugging line 142, but when solenoid 148 is energized,it operates to shift the valve to a position connecting lines 142 and144 to admit air under pressure to the cylinders. The head ends of thecylinders are open to the exhaust line 152.

'A line 154 leads to 4-way valve 156 which is connected to the rod endsof rack cylinders 54 by line 158 .zandto vthe.,.head. ends of cylinders54 by line 160. The

valve is shifted to one position by solenoid 162 to con- 4- nect lines154 and to admit air under pressure to the head ends of the cylindersand to connect line 158 to exhaust 164, and is shifted to a secondposition by solenoid 166 to connect lines 154 and 158 to admit air underpressure to the rod ends of cylinders 54 and to connect line 160 toexhaust.

A line 168 leads to 4-way valve 170 which is connected to the rod endsof clamp cylinders '94 by line 172 and to the head ends by line 174. Thevalve is shifted to one position by solenoid 176 to connect lines 168and 172 to admit air under pressure to the rod ends of the cylinders andto connect line 174 to exhaust 178, and is shifted to a second positionby solenoid 180 to connect lines 168 and 174 to admit air under pressureto the head end of cylinders 94 and to exhaust line 172.

A line 182 leads to a valve 184 which is connected to the head end ofcylinder 130 by line 186 and to the rod end by line 188. Normally thevalve 184 is positioned, by spring loading, to connect lines 182 and 188to the rod end of the cylinder, and to exhaust head end through line 186and exhaust 190. When the piston of cylinder 130 is raised by air underpressure at the rod endthereof, the cutter 120 is raised to a positionabove the packed sand in a cope supported by the lift. A solenoid 192 isprovided which, when energized, shifts the valve 184 to a positionexhausting line 188 and admitting air under pressure to line 186 tolower the cutter to the Fig. 4 position in which itenters the spruepassage in the sand. The air motor 124 for driving the cutter is alsoconnected to line 186 so that the cutter is rotated when in the downposition to form the pouring cup. The limits of movement of the cutterare determined by the stroke of piston 128.

The operation of the transfer mechanism will now be described in moredetail along with a description of the wiring diagram and associatedlimit switches. The raising and lowering of the lift 64 is accomplishedby the rotary air hoist 70 which is manually controlled by the operator.When the rack 28 is in the Fig. 1 position at its rearward limit overthe roll-off rack, the operator will, by manual control, operate thehoist 70 to lower the lift from the Fig. 1 position. As the lift movesdown, the flange 200 on one of the angle members 68 thereof engages andmomentarily closes limit switch LS1 closing a circuit to the clampsolenoid 180 to operate the clamp cylinders 94, causing the lower endsof the clamps to move inwardly under the top flange of the cope 92 onthe roll-off rack. A circuit to relay R1 is also closed, and relay R1has a contact R10 for sealing in both the relay and solenoid 180 throughcircuit 202.

After the cope is securely gripped by the clamps, the operator manuallyoperates the air hoist to raise the lift. When the lift reaches itsupper limit, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the flange 200 of the lift frameengages limit switch LS2 holding it closed and energizing solenoid 162to move the rack to its forward limiting position over the conveyor. Thecircuit to solenoid 162 is through the contact Rib of relay R1.

In the forward position of the rack, the operator manually operates thehoist 70 to low the lift to approximately the dotted line position ofFig. 2 in which the cope is held above the top surface of drags movedalong by the conveyer but in which the fingers 117 are disposed forengagement by the drags. When a drag on the conveyor is moved under thelift and engages fingers 117, the lift, rack and bridge are moved as aunit with the conveyor along the tracks 12 and 14 which support thebridge. When this occurs, the operator again manually operates the hoist76 to further lower the cope until it rests upon the drag. He thenoperates push button FBI to energize solenoid 176. Push button PB1 has asecond normally closed contact PB2 which is opened when button P131 isclosed, thereby de-energizing solenoid 180 and relay R1. As a result,the clamps are moved clear of the cope to release the same, and the airhoist is manually operated to raise the lift.

When the lift reaches its upper limit, a flange 202 on one of the anglemembers 68 of the lift engages and holds closed limit switch LS3 toenergize solenoids 166 and 148 through the normally closed contact Rlcof relay R1. Energization of solenoid 166 returns the rack to itsrearward position over the roll-ofi rack, and energization of solenoid148 admits under pressure to the rod ends of the bridge cylinders 36 toreturn the bridge to the Fig. 2 position. In this connection, it will beunderstood that when the moving drag engages the lift fingers 117immediately prior to placing the cope on the drag, the bridge is movedto the left until the transfer is complete. Hence it is desirable toreturn the bridge to its righthand position shown in Fig. 2 prior to thenext cycle so that the lift will register with the roll-off rack.

The lift has another limit switch LS4 operated by a cam 204 on thebridge 16. The cam is positioned to engage the switch in the rearwardposition of the rack 28 over the rol1-oif rack. As the lift moves downin this position, the portion 206 of the cam closes limit switch LS4 toenergize solenoid 192, thereby lowering the cutter 120. The liftcontinues downwardly so that the lowered cutter enters the sprue passagein the sand and the motor 124 is simultaneously operated to form thepouring cup. The motor will be immediately started upon the admission ofair pressure to the line 186 so that the cutter is rotating before it islowered into the sprue passage. This action continues as the cope isclamped and initially raised, and the cutter motor is stopped and thecutter raised out of the formed pouring cup during upward movement ofthe lift by the contour of the cam opening limit switch LS4.

A manual start button PB3 is provided to condition the circuit foroperation by energizing relay CR1, thereby closing the contacts CRla ofthe relay. Relay contact CRlb seals in a holding circuit to the relay,and R is a light to indicate that the circuit is ready for operation. Anormally closed button PB4 is provided to de-energize relay CR1, to shutdown the apparatus.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. Mechanism for transferring a cope flask from a support to a movingdrag flask movable along a path spaced laterally from said supportcomprising a bridge, means supporting said bridge for movement from anormal position in the direction of movement of said drag flask, a racksupported on said bridge for movement between limits respectivelyoverlying the path of said drag flask and said support in the normalposition of said bridge, a vertically movable lift carried by said rackhaving means for gripping a cope flask, means for operating saidgripping means when said rack is at one limit overlying said support togrip a cope flask on said support, means for raising said lift to raisethe gripped cope flask, means for moving said rack to its other limit,means for moving said lift to a lower position at said other limit,means for releasing said gripping means in the lower position of saidlift, means on said lift engageable with the drag flask in the lowerposition of said lift for moving said lift, rack and bridge as a unitwith the drag flask with the gripped cope flask in register with thedrag flask during the release of said gripping means, means forreturning said bridge to its normal position, means for forming apouring cup in the molded sand in the cope flask engaged by saidgripping means including a cutter carried by said lift, and meanscontrolled by the movement of said lift at said one limit for actuatingsaid cutter.

2. Mechanism for removing a mold flask from a support and forming apouring cup in the molded sand in the flask comprising a lift above saidsupport, means for lowering and raising said lift toward and away from alower position adjacent said support, said lift having means forgripping a mold flask on said support in its lower position to raise theflask'with said lift upon upand means controlled by the movement of saidlift for actuating said cutter.

3. Mechanism for removing a mold flask from a support and forming apouring cup in the molded sand in the flask comprising a lift above saidsupport, means for lowering and raising said lift toward and away from alower position adjacent said support, said lift having means forgripping a mold flask on said support in its lower position to raise theflask with said lift upon upward movement of the latter, a poweroperated cutter carried by said lift for forming a pouring cup in themolded sand in a flask engaged by said gripping means, and means foractuating said cutter.

4. Mechanism for removing a mold flask from a support and forming apouring cup in the molded sand in the flask comprising a lift above saidsupport, means for lowering and raising said lift toward and away from alower position adjacent said support, said lift having means forgripping a mold flask on said support in its lower position to raise theflask with said lift upon upward movement of the latter, a poweroperated cutter carried by said lift for forming a pouring cup in themolded sand in a flask engaged by said gripping means, means operated bythe movement of said lift to its lower position for actuating saidgripping means to grip a flask on said support, and means controlled bythe movement of said lift for actuating said cutter.

5. Mechanism for removing a mold flask from a support and at the sametime forming a pouring cup in the molded sand in the flask comprising alift above said support, means for lowering and raising said lift towardand away from a lower position adjacent said support, said lift havingmeans for gripping a mold flask on said support in its lower position toraise the flask with said lift upon upward movement of the latter, arotary cutter carried by said lift for forming a pouring cup in themolded sand in a flask, means responsive to the movement of said lift toits lower position for lowering said cutter relative to said lift to aposition for forming a pouring cup in the molded sand of a flask grippedby said gripping means, and power means for rotating said cutteractuated in response to the movement of said lift to its lower position.

6. Mechanism as defined in claim 5 including means operated by theupward movement of said lift for raising said cutter clear of the sandin a gripped flask and for rendering said power means inoperative.

7. Mechanism for depositing a cope flask section on a moving drag flasksection comprising a bridge, means supporting said bridge forreciprocation along the path of movement of the drag flask section toand from a normal position, a lift carried by said bridge for verticalmovement, means for lowering and raising said lift relative to saidbridge toward and away from a lower position adjacent the path of thedrag flask section, means on said lift for gripping a cope flasksection, abutment means on said lift engageable by the drag flasksection in the lower position of said lift for movement of said lift andbridge from the normal position of said bridge by and as a unit with thedrag flask section and with a cope flask section gripped by saidgripping means in register with the drag flask section, means forreleasing said gripping means during movement of said lift and bridge bythe drag flask section to deposit the cope flask section on the dragflask section, and means for raising said lift to clear said abutmentmeans of the flask sections and for then returning said bridge to itsnormal position following release of the cope flask section.

8. Mechanism for transferring a cope flask from a support to a movingdrag flask movable along a path spaced laterally from said supportcomprising a bridge,

means supporting said bridge for reciprocation along the, path ofmovementof said drag flask to and from a normal position, a ranksupported on said bridge for movement between limits respectivelyoverlying the path of said drag flask and said support in the normalposition of said bridge, a vertically movable lift carried by said rackhaving means for gripping a cope flask, means for operating saidgripping means when said rack is at one limit overlying said support togrip a cope flask on said support, means for raising said lift to raisethe gripped cope flask, means for moving said rack to its other limit,means for moving said lift to a lower position at said other limit,means for releasing said gripping means in the lower position of saidlift, abutment means on said lift engageable with the drag flask in thelower position of said lift for moving said lift, rack and bridge awayfrom 8n the. normal position of said bridge as a unit with the dragflask with the gripped cope flask in register with the drag flask dur ngthe r lea ts i p n m a and means for ra sin sa if to de r i ab m a s ofthe flasks and for then returning said bridge to its normal positionfollowing release of said-gripping means.

References Cited in the file of this patent' UNITED STATES PATENTS912,406 Patterson et a1. Feb. 16, 1909 2,575,103 Gavin Nov. 13, 19512,651,087 Fellows Sept. 8, 1953 2,701,399 Underwood et a1. Feb. 8, 19552,752,646 Lasater et a1. July 3, 1956 2,754,555 Young July 17, 1956

